The Habooch
Habooch are one of the oldest races of Skalabar, they’re life of subsistence can be traced right back to the arrival of the Celestials, an origin often shrouded in mystery and dispute. As a people the Habooch are respectful and caring but also obtrusive and mischievous, but are known to be terribly fierce when the need arises. Appearance and Characteristics Habooch are closely related to baboons, which they resemble in many of their physical characteristics. Habooch share the same facial structure, fur, hands and feet as baboons, however their bodily structure is different, more resembling that of a human then a monkey. Habooch are taller too, reaching an average height of around five and a half feet. Their fingers are long and highly dexteric, their eyes too are sharp and resistant to the glare of the sun or blowing sand. Although Habooch live in primitive societies, they have a natural capability for intelligence, often overlooked by more haughty civilized races that see them as ignorant animals. Habooch do not like to wear excessive amounts of clothing, partly due to the hot, dry nature of their homeland and their own layer of fur, which does enough to keep them warm. However travelling Habooch are wise to keep in the customs of where they are. The colouring of Habooch varies greatly from where they live. There is noticed to be a great variance of subspecies of Habooch, within the different tribes, which is not entirely explained by geneticists. For example the Nadu Mandil, who live further south from the Habooch homeland, have great facial colouring of blue and red that is totally unique for their species. Most Habooch have a black or brown face with yellowy brown fur. History Unique humanoid baboon men the Habooch were one of the first sentient races of Asmordal, and are also one of the most enduring. The exact origins of the Habooch remain vastly swathed in mystery, although it is commonly agreed that they came into existence shortly around the same time as the Uldan. There is a large possibility of the Habooch being naturally evolved, however many believe that the Celestials breathed sentience into primitive baboons, in order to create populates for the newly conquered planet of Asmordal. Whether or not they evolved naturally or through divine intervention, the Habooch were one of the first peoples of Asmordal following the fall of the giants, and are the true guardians of Skalabar. For centuries they lived in independent wandering groups, hunting zebra and antelope along the plains south of the Sybian Sea, as well as foraging and gathering plants and other edible substances. Conflict was rare as the Habooch lived nomadically and rarely came in contact with each other; most of the groups followed the same paths and did not go far past the natural boundaries of the savannah and desert; at the time the fertile east was ruled by savage monsters such as ogres. Over time the Habooch nomad groups grew in size, splitting off into more. Eventually the notion of a common tribe came into use. Different groups would recognise others as a part of the same tribe and aid each other in times of need, meeting frequently to exchange daughters. One group headed southwards where they settled in the Akonga jungle, beginning to live more sedentary lives. This tribe became known as the Nadu Gombasi, or children of the river. With more Habooch around violence began between tribes. Although full scale warfare was never initiated, bands of young raiders would commonly attack other villages and camps, in order to steal food or supplies, when another group encroached on their territory. Such practises were seen as necessary to make young warriors fit and able, seen as a coming of age ceremony. During this time, one strange individual arrived on the door step of a Habooch tent. He was a primate, but most certainly not a Habooch. The individual claimed he had supernatural powers, and offered his skills as a seer and healer. The stranger, still unnamed, brought many of the tribe’s fallen warriors back to life, and was revered by the Habooch around him, slowly growing in power and influence. Eventually the tribe’s Mahabooch, or leader, died without a son, naming the stranger as his heir. Exploring the desert, the new chieftain came across a small and totally insignificant tribe, composed of a single group, known as the Nadu Set’he. He offered them glory and total power if they were to follow him as well, desperate for greater power the Mahabooch agreed to join the stranger’s existing tribe. The stranger then led a campaign against another group, taking them over and expanding his own lands. Under his leadership, his warriors entered a sort of craze of bloodlust, becoming capable of brutality and bloodlust that had previously been unknown in Habooch society. This powerful leader conquered soon more and more groups, and their leaders were replaced with representatives of his ruling body, the Brazen Hand, a mysterious council of warlocks and witch doctors. Before long all the Habooch tribes were under the stranger’s dominance, and war was soon carried to the Gibor in the south. After a bloody campaign, the Gibor were also brought under the stranger’s command, who soon named himself ‘The Monkey King’. With most of the Tribelands, Nadu Sa’id and the Akonga jungle under his command, the Monkey King continued his rapid militarization of his tribes, putting down any who opposed him with ruthless cruelty. Far in the jungles of Akonga the Monkey King constructed a mystical temple, in which he made his home and headquarters of the Brazen hand. From here, the Monkey King made his intentions clear, perpetuating his own self-deification he announced his aims to challenge the rule of Asmordal and bring war to its gods. The Monkey King expected this call to be answered, but it was not. Amassing his forces of indoctrinated Habooch and Gibor, commanded by his devout lieutenants in the Brazen Hand, the Monkey King discovered a great portal into the Cloud Kingdom and sent fourth his legion. In an unprecedented clash of arms the gods met the Monkey King’s forces and thousands were killed. Although the Monkey King was a clear enemy only Eratha, Juraes and Magia fought against his troops, the god’s armies were brought grievously close to defeat before finally the armies of the Monkey King were destroyed. The upstart managed to escape however, and fled into the unknown with his followers in the Brazen Hand. The great temple in Akonga was destroyed in an earthquake and the Celestials extracted their revenge by ravaging his dominion. The remaining Habooch and Gibor swore to break with the ways with the worship of the Monkey King and the Brazen Hand and broke with all the traditions he had set about, earning mutual forgiveness with the gods, in particular Eratha, who wished to see the Habooch heal and return to their old ways. The Monkey King’s whereabouts remained unknown however, and the gods continued to try and find him. Eventually it was discovered that the leader had fallen in with the god of chaos, Yamemh, and escaped from the earthly plane, in order to plot a war against the gods once more. Many of the Nadu Set’he tribe however, had grown greatly in power under the rule of the Monkey King and continued to worship him, carrying out sacrifices and continuing on the practise of sorcery. Despite becoming condemned for their malignant practises, the Nadu Set’he tribe stayed higher in population then it had before the rise of the Monkey King, due to the fact that many former members of the Brazen Hand joined the Tribe. To this day the Nadu Set’he remains in a pariah state among Habooch, dwelling still in the deserts of eastern Nadu Sa’id, unconquered and a feared by their brethren. After the fall of the Monkey King, the Habooch tried to restore their old lifestyle, and never again let such a catastrophe happen again. Life continued on for the nomadic Habooch tribes much the same for at least four hundred years, until the arrival of the humans on the shores of Skalabar. Habooch life changed drastically with the arrival of the first humans on the shores of Skalabar. The Habooch did not open up relations with the humans, and remained isolated as the first nations were set up. However soon the first adventurers began to colonise the deserts of what would become the Tribelands, the Habooch became weary. At first they kept their distance, but as the humans began to encroach on their hunting grounds and drive them away, aggression mounted. It was not known who attacked who first but it was certain that before long, the more aggressive groups of Habooch were at war with these human desert folk, or Mureg. In a series of skirmishes lasting decades, the Mureg drove the Habooch out completely from the desert lands. An attack was mounted on the western savannah of Nadu Sa’id but this time the Habooch tribes mounted a successful united defence, however failing to retake the desert lands. Some of the desert Habooch were taken as slaves by the Mureg and this began a slow assimilation with human culture. During the golden age, the Nadu Tsasti tribe established the settlement of Lake Tsaman, and here Habooch began to lead a sedentary based lifestyle for the first time. New ideas flowed here and many young Habooch journeyed out, into the lands of the humans and Uldan, where a select few found jobs and became a part of these societies. Those that failed to do so either returned home, became mercenaries or bandits or hit the street, joining the great number of immigrants who had failed to make a living. During the so called Golden Age of Man, many Habooch flocked to the great cities such as Aretium, where they became a part of this multicultural empire. Here the Habooch befriended the Gibor and Draconin, who were both foreigners to the strange lifestyle of humans. However, despite this recent integration, the Habooch did not forget their ancestral prejudice for the Mureg, who they still blamed for their displacement, even though the official view from other races was that the Tribe lands had been in Mureg hands for so long, that they were their rightful home. During this time, the Habooch tribes experienced a brief invasion from the Mandate of Fire, which was halted as the Mandate’s attention was drawn away by the human nation of Ido. Some Habooch, in particular the shaman Wise-Eye, helped combat the second planes walker crisis during the mid Golden Age. This made them gain greater respect from the human empire. However centuries of relative peace and stability ended as the human empire became increasingly oppressive and disrespectful to the other races. With enraging of the gods, the Habooch were tasked with triggering the reckoning. On a lonely day hunting, the great leader Blood-Eye was approached by a lone wolf, who introduced himself as the god Nakhazi. The Celestial explained to Blood-Eye that the humans had grown greedy and disrespectful, and that their civilization must be brought down. The Habooch listened to this with open eyes, and Nakhazi urged him to take up arms, telling him that in doing so he will earn his people the favour of the gods, that had been lost during the rise of the Monkey King. Blood-Eye returned home and told this to his kinsfolk, although the idea was renounced by the more conservative elders, the Mahabooch gained great support from the youngsters of the tribe. In a course of ten years, Blood-Eye travelled around the lands of the Mureg, Nadu Sa’id and the Akonga jungles, even venturing as far as Aretium, the capital of the Human Empire. All along his journey, he witnessed the oppression of his people, as well as other species such as the Draconin. When he returned back, the Mahabooch had raised an army; his mind was set on one goal, to conquer the ancient desert lands from the human Mureg. An invasion was launched soon after, so fast and immediate the Mureg tribesmen were not expecting it. Within the first year, it looked as if Blood-Eye’s warriors might fail, as the Human Empire had come to aid of the hardy Mureg warriors. However a rebellion was sparked in other provinces, as vast swathes of Draconin, Karak-Han and Gibor, as well as some Cynophales and Banavi Uldan rose up against their human overseers. In a course of five years, all of the Habooch had joined Blood-Eye, and the Mureg were defeated at last. With the desert Tribelands under his control, Blood-Eye, sent warriors to aid the other uprisings against the humans. By now the reckoning was under way, and the Human Empire was wrecked by a series of war and disasters. Blood-Eye, now a revered leader relinquished his control of the Habooch people, returning them to their tribal life, and becoming Mahabooch of the Nadu Gomasa tribe. Although he was no longer ultimate leader, Blood-Eye's Reconquista had opened the eyes of the Habooch, who had now felt what it was like to be a united force, in particular the new settlers in the desert lands – the Tribelands Habooch, began to revere Blood-Eye as an ancestral father, and a focus of worship. Once the Human Empire collapsed, most Habooch returned to Nadu Sa’id or the Tribelands, however many disenfranchised youth journeyed out to the now ruined human lands, in order to gain riches as bandits. The tribes continued their normal lives, but now banded together in any threat of danger to the existence of their people. The Nadu Se’he tribe, who had previously played on the weaknesses and rivalries of its peers, now ceased to show any direct aggression against this new united force. As millennia passed for the Habooch, they became uneasy of the great change that was wrought by the reckoning and the number of new races appearing in Skalabar, when the humans had arrived; they had lost the desert lands, and were now determined not to give up an inch of their homeland. Diplomatic pressure from the newly formed League began to worry the Habooch, as their new neighbours, the elves, demanded to open up trade. This resulted in a brief war, in which some hunting ground in Nadu Sa’id was lost. It was the Naiasu, from far north, who offered an alliance with the Habooch tribes. While some were nervous to become involved in great conflicts, many felt this was right. Wary of the growing power of the Denizens, who sought to destroy all ‘impure’ and primitive races from Skalabar, the Tribelands Habooch, and the Nadu Tsasti, joined the new Confederation of Tribes. In return the Naiasu retook the lands taken by the elves. Threatened by this new presence, the Gren in the east attacked, resulting in a clash of arms between the Habooch and these human descendants. All of the Gren's fears were confirmed and the majority of the Habooch people joined The Tribes, cementing their part in this alliance. Only the evil Nadu Set’he, the isolated Nadu Gombasi, and the conservative Nadu Kilasa refused the invitation. With the formation of the Conclave, the western Habooch, in particular, have been at full scale war. The future is looking dark for the children of the savannah, and it seems that they will have to fight for their lands or die trying. Culture Habooch lifestyle has remained the same for thousands of years. They are perhaps the only intelligent race in Skalabar to keep the same customs and traditions in circulation for so long. By urban standards the Habooch live primitive lives. They live in tents, in groups of around fifty individuals, which pitch their camp and hunt game and forage for food. At night they enjoy stories by the fire and sing tails of their ancestor’s deeds. Once every two months they meet with the rest of the groups which constitute their tribe. Crafting is common, if limited, and only a basic degree is used to forge weaponry and clothing. Zebras are tamed in order to ride and to hunt with, magic is practised in its rawest form, and is only really used by witch doctors and seers. The Habooch, although deeply respectful, do not actively worship the gods of Asmordal. Instead they pay their tribute to the spirits of their ancestors, who are communed with through a medium or shaman. Habooch religion is outdoor and natural wonders or crude altars are places of worship, as opposed to grand cathedrals or temples. Warfare Despite their primitive lifestyle, Habooch are fierce in battle. A lifetime of hunting on the grassland and desert makes them tireless, agile fighters. When a tribe is threatened, it is expected that every young male will fight. Habooch make war with basic weaponry and fast, light tactics. Warriors will normally engage enemies from a range, preferring thrown weaponry and slings to bows, keeping their distance and tiring their foes out. When the time is right, the Habooch will charge in and kill their exhausted opponents. Others fight on zebra back, harassing and flanking the enemy at all times, with light but powerful bone spears. In the Tribes, Habooch are invaluable as scouts and skirmishers, and fill this role to their best ability, while their heavier allies engage in melee. Relations with other races Traditionally the Habooch have always kept to them, respecting the boundaries of other races. Travellers will be treated with respect, and taken in, but it is very rare that someone belonging to another species will be welcomed as one of the tribe. The Uldan are respected, but seen as too haughty and self righteous, Cynophales are treated with dignity, and many Habooch outside of their tribes have worked well with them. Little contact has been made with dwarves, but the Habooch think that they do not show sufficient respect to nature and the earth, and therefore are not viewed with the upmost respect. Elves are not liked by the Habooch, mainly for reasons unknown, but it may be partly due to the early conflict experienced between the two races. Naiasu, are idolized by many of the warlike Habooch and are seen as good friends and compatriots, the defenders of tribal life, however to some they are perceived as too warlike and impulsive, traits that will only lead to more conflict. Orgs are not greatly respected, due to their lack of respect for nature, and how they abandoned the tribes. Urgrund are tolerated, if not trusted, while the Gren are greatly equated with humans, but it is more their affiliation with the Conclave, which the Habooch dislike. Of all the races, the Habooch interact with the Gibor the most, due to their close genetic relationship. The Gibor are seen as the rightful inhabitants of the jungle, as the Habooch see themselves as the guardians of the savannah. Homeland – Nadu Sa’id The plains of Nadu Sa’id lie inland, south of the Sybian Sea, west of the Tribelands desert, north of the Akonga jungle and east of the former Mandate lands. The Savannah here is open and lush, supporting a large biodiversity, in some ways resembling that of Africa, but with creatures such as Dolicatherum and reptiles living there as well. In the rain season the plains are abounding with plant life, but in the dry the land is barren and arid. Great herds of beasts pass through the savannah, feeding on the plant life then leaving so it may grow again. The Habooch too, follow this pattern, always leaving the life to grow again and the earth to heal. The capital city of Lake Tsaman, home to the Nadu Tsasti Tribe is an exception, as the lake holds enough wildlife for people to live here all year long. Due to this, it is the Habooch alliance’s main administrative capital, and home of its leader, the Mahabooch Firm-Gaze. Leader – Mahabooch Firm-Gaze The current Habooch leader is from a long line of elected chiefs, and a descendant of the fabled hunter, Mahabooch Blood-Eye. As Mahabooch of the Nadu Tsasti tribe, Firm-Gaze was chosen to lead the Habooch as a part of The Tribes, after the death of the previous representative, the elder shaman Thistletooth. A brave and powerful warrior, Firm-Gaze is intimidating to speak with, and commands respect from his people, who follow his every word. Firm-Gaze, although more of a fighter then a wise man, is respected by the Habooch elders, and young warriors alike, baring a long hatred for the Conclave in particular, and determined to not let an inch of Habooch soil fall to invaders. Names Habooch do not have surnames, as they see themselves as a part of a tribe, and are raised by their group as a whole, not just their family. Habooch names are given at the age of five and tend to be given to them after a distinguishing feature or characteristic, such as Redfoot, Quick-axe, Dustmane, Long-Tail, Bushback or Calm-Mind. In formal situations a Habooch will name himself, along with his tribe. For example, ‘My name is Sandhand of the Nadu Silete’. Notable Habooch *The Monkey King *Wise-Eye *Mahabooch Blood-Eye *Thistletooth *Mahabooch Firm-Gaze